İdil Üstünel, born in Istanbul in 1964, began working at an advertising agency while studying Chemical Engineering, gradually gravitating toward creative disciplines. After gaining experience at the agency of renowned cartoonist Salih Memecan, she went on to run her own company, where she focused on toy design as well as the development and marketing of three-dimensional promotional materials.
Her artistic journey deepened through workshops, beginning with İrfan Önürmen’s program at Pi Artworks and continuing for many years under the guidance of Nilgün Sabar. Between 2010 and 2014, she took part in Sabar’s workshops, which explored creative development through free association, producing both two- and three-dimensional works across various mediums.
Her fascination with light and color was further shaped during her time at Izzet Keribar’s photography workshop, enriching the visual language of her artistic practice.